Morning Headlines: A Northwest Philly High Line?

Photo by Liz Spikol.

The Manayunk Bridge Trail Project got a Notice to Proceed from the city, meaning construction can begin. The idea is to connect the Cynwyd Heritage Trail to the Schuylkill River Trail via the Manayunk Bridge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Like many other local railroad structures, the bridge has been out of use for many years. Now it will be part of a bike/walk trail that will extend to Main Street, and even make it possible to walk from Manayunk to Lower Merion. Hopefully, this means more Philadelphians will discover the Cynwyd Heritage Trail.

There are even more heartening connections that will result:

The bridge would also spur the momentum of the Ivy Ridge Trail which continues along the defunct R6 Ivy Ridge Regional Rail line. It parallels the Manayunk Tow Path, which is part of the Schuylkill River Trail. The Ivy Ridge Trail is considered a lynchpin to the local trail system as it will connect the Cynwyd Trail in Montgomery County to the nearby Schuylkill River Trail via the Manayunk Bridge.

Philadelphia officials give go ahead for $4.12 million Manayunk Bridge, trail project [Main Line Times]

More headlines:

• Drexel’s John Fry gets big play in Politico: West Philadelphia, Reborn and Razed [Politico]
• 15th and Chestnut to get a Pipeline: Graham Building’s new co-working space promises more than just ping-pong, beer [Biz Journal]
• Another church bites the dust: Demolition Du Jour: Nicetown’s Nazarene Baptist Church [Hidden City]